Universal Constant
by Rahndom
Summary: No matter the universe, no matter the variants. In a million possibilities, a million of choices made, there are things that shall always remain the same. This is one of them. KonTim, BartJaime, implied One-Sided RoyTim.
1. Introduction

Kon wasn't really sure how or when is started, or maybe he was… it was complicated. As far a she knew the team was finally settling onto itself and Superman was finally acknowledging him – had even given him a name – and then, out of nowhere, Robin had decided he didn't want to be Robin anymore and he left and Kaldur was hanging around with a girl and Roy was sneaking around with Artemis' sister and everything seemed so different and he didn't like it.

Finally, M'gann betrayed him in the most unthinkable way, in was Kon only thought Luthor capable of and the young clone found himself doubting his own identity, his very grasp of reality up until that point.

So he did the only thing he could do.

He collapsed.

Thank Rao Clark had been there to catch him on his way to Honolulu – he had always liked the warmed climate – and had dragged him, kicking and screaming to Kansas, to Smallville, to Ma' and Pa'.

Though he was proud to admit he had managed to pierce his ears before he was caught, his own very ridiculous act of rebellion that still made Clark's brows furrow and Ma' sigh in fond exasperation.

Still, with his hands deep in soil, the sun hitting his back until sweat soaked his shirt, Pa's hand on his shoulder and Ma's pie on his stomach, Kon-El began the arduous process of finding whatever part of his shared DNA was actually himself.

And hopefully healing.

Some had called him selfish for ditching the team and his duties. Some had compared him to Robin's ego and Wally's cowardice, some of the new kids scoffed whenever his name was mentioned and loudly expressed their opinion over his choices, fully away his superhearing allowed him to receive such abuse despite the distance, up to the point when he stopped checking on the team and HQ, when he decided he was not going to worry for people who couldn't find it in himself to worry about his well-being.

Well… until Ma' told him he shouldn't, at the very least.

It hurt.

Of that he was sure.

A few years passed.

When he was finally stable enough to return to the team, a somber mood had fallen over HQ. Wally and Artemis were gone, for one, feeling too old to be out in the field, too scared. Kaldur, on the other hand, had turned traitor on them, deciding to join his father – and who would have guessed? Kaldur?. M'gann had a new boyfriend.

Robin was dead.

He hadn't been quite sure what had happened – only that the Robin who had died wasn't the Robin he had worked with, that one was Nightwing now, but his replacement – and that his former teammates were now older and busy training younger counterparts to take their places.

Roy had a clone named 'Arsenal', there was another Robin – a third? –, there was another little Kid Flash – who preferred to go by 'Impulse' and a strange blue-suited kid who spoke to himself a whole lot of the time, and Nightwing was the new leader and advisor.

Kon felt lost, alienated from this new team that was half in awe of his powers and achievements and half too afraid to approach him should they incur in his infamous wrath.

So, without really knowing any other options, he did what he had done in the very beginning, he kept to himself, spent the nights back in Smallville, despite Nightwing's protests, and only came over if his presence was absolutely necessary, which wasn't often.

And, it was due to his self-imposed solitude, that this new revelation of his happened.

He first noticed the new Robin as something other than a replacement of the last two when he came to the realization that he, actually,couldn't notice him at all.

And it was as confusing to explain as it was to experience it. He had grown far too accustomed to Nightwing's overly-eager persona and how he used to barrel his way into Kon's personal space in order to coax him out of his so-called shell, so when he noticed that the new kid walked around on silent feet and usually made sure to be as unobstructive as possible give the chance, the clone didn't know what to think about it.

So he spoke.

"Are you a meta?" he asked one afternoon as the boy glided past him, his eyes widening when the teen squeaked in surprise and fell on his ass. "Are you okay?"

"I… I… yes?" Robin replied, his cheeks flushing a bright red that made his pale face – paler than Nightwing's had been – turn the same shade of his uniform.

Kon nodded.

"So," he repeated. "Are you a meta or not?"

"N-no!" Robin cried, shaking his head. "I'm human!"

The clone frowned.

"But you fly."

"Huh?"

"You float like C-like Superman," the older teen scowled. "There is no other explanation."

Robin frowned.

"Explanation for…" he asked back, tilting his head to the side the same way Wolf did when he was confused.

"You make no sound when you walk," Kon explained, nodding to himself. "You only make a sound when you want to and it's weird."

The color on Robin's cheeks darkened.

"Thank you?"

"It wasn't a compliment," the clone corrected. "It's your power."

"Uh…" Robin hesitated, he did that a lot. "It's not a power… I'm just really quiet."

Kon stared, not satisfied by such answer. There was no way the teen was just a human. There was no human that quiet, it was impossible…

… then again Clark used to say Batman had that ability as well.

He nodded.

"Are you Batman's son?" he asked this time, his curiosity peaked.

Robin stared.

"No?" he said softly. "And before you ask, he's not a meta either. We are just really quiet."

The clone nodded.

Robin hesitated – again.

"Do you… do you really think I'm that quiet?" he asked. "As quiet as Batman?"

"You are," Kon replied, shrugging his shoulders. "It's really weird."

Robin lowered his eyes.

"I'm sorry."

Kon wanted to say something on the face of the other teen's obvious misery. He thought of something M'gann or Nightwing would have said but the thought of them – those who were leaving him behind – left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Ma' told him once nothing could go wrong if he opened his heart and spoke with honesty, and Ma' was seldom wrong, so he decided to be honest this time…

However, as he was opening his mouth to tell Robin not even Nightwing had been that quiet when they met – something that even he could consider high praise – they were rudely interrupted by loud footsteps and the metallic clank of a hand against the doorway.

"Baby Bird?" Roy – the other Roy, the Arsenal Roy – asked as he entered the room. "There you are! You promised we were gonna spar, remember?"

Robin turned, still sitting on the floor, and his eyes visibly widened behind his mask.

"Ah, I was…" he muttered. "Water."

"You were running away," Arsenal leered in a way that made Robin's cheeks regain their red hue and Kon's eyes narrow dangerously despite himself.

"I wasn't!" Robin protested, jumping gracefully to his feet. "I got distracted while talking to Kon-El!"

Kon blinked.

Arsenal stared.

"Who?" he asked.

Robin pointed a hesitant finger towards the clone.

"Superboy?" he asked, and then his finger fell as he realized what he had done. "I … ah! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to presume, but Batman said that was your name and I…"

"It's fine," Kon said, nodding at the smaller teen. "I like my name."

Robin stared at him for a moment, his eyes wide.

Then he smiled, a shy curl to the lips.

Kon felt something inside of him warm up.

Arsenal scowled.

"Stop stalling, Baby Bird!" he protested, pulling the other boy to him by the arm and the scooping him until Robin was draped over his shoulder. "I wanna go kick your ass!"

Robin scowled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Is this about that Arrow Training versus Bat Training thing again?" he asked, so visibly annoyed Kon was actually surprised. "I told you Batman didn't train me like he trained Nightwing!"

"More the reason to kick that pretty ass of yours to the floor!" Arsenal beamed mockingly, his step light. "Then you'll let me see that doll face you have behind your mask, right?"

"What?!" Robin protested, struggling. "No way!"

Arsenal only replied with a mocking, roaring laugh as he turned the corner and disappeared from sight, Robin still over his shoulder like a captured prey.

Kon felt his clenched fist bend the steel framing of the couch as he tried to control this new, unnamed emotion he was just now discovering.

No one other than Nightwing could make Robin smile, and even that required for the elder hero to practically make a fool of himself to achieve.

But Kon had done it, all on his own.

He had made Robin smile.

Robin had a pretty smile, at that. One that fit his quiet and unobstructive personality.

It was very nice.

And then Roy-clone had to barge in on whatever connection had formed between them – and it had been a connection, something human and empathetic and gentle. Nothing mental or telepathic, not anymore – and taken Robin away for whatever ridiculous contest the Arrows had with the Bats, teasing and leering in that uncomfortable way that reminded Kon of Wally's younger years.

But worse.

It was dirtier, filthy.

It made the warmth inside of Kon slowly simmer into a boil and every single one of his muscles tensed, his vision turning a violent red.

For a moment, he wanted Robin back and Arsenal gone, and the intensity of such emotion frightened him.

Especially when he noticed the newly made scorch marks that now adorned the place Roy had last been standing.

He needed to call Clark.

Impulse had some strange knowledge of the future that made him frightening and dangerous in ways Kon didn't want to consider.

Nightwing seemed amused by his cheerful personality – they were far too similar in Kon's opinion – and the older hero usually encouraged his childish behavior with enthusiasm.

Robin, on the other hand, held a definitive mix of tolerance and wariness for the speedster. He spent time with him when Impulse requested it, and sometimes they could be found engaging in deep conversations about science and technology that made Blue Beetle leave them alone for hours and Kon's ears hurt.

During such conversations Bart would often drape himself over Robin, snuggling into the other boy's personal space. And Robin would be so engrossed in whatever they were doing, that he would absently end up petting Impulse's fluffy hair instead of reacting with his usually shy demeanor.

Kon would have been angry – Clark said it was normal for him to be angry, all the while smiling as if he was the holder of one gigantic secret, the bastard – but he had already seen Arsenal try to get the same petting from the smaller teen, only to be refuted with a squeak of surprise, a colorful curse, and a foot planted on the forehead that left a mark lasting for a day.

The sight had filled him with a satisfaction that had only soured when he realized it meant Impulse was someone special. Someone Robin considered unique.

Like Nightwing.

He felt bitter.

A part of him was acutely aware that his fascination with the younger boy was not normal. The way his eyes would instantly zero-in on his red and black uniform whenever he entered the room, how he was constantly seeking out Robin's heartbeat and reveling in its soothing, steady sound at night.

The beating of Robin's heart was a far better alternative than the static sound of the T.V. he used during the day, anyways. It helped him concentrate, block all other sounds and enjoy silence his power seldom allowed.

Damn, even the fact that Robin always called him by his name Kon-El, instead of Conner – Superman's name instead of M'gann's – made the clone irresistibly intrigued by the lonesome teenager with the silent feet and the shy smile.

"I don't get it," Jaime said one day as he allowed himself to fall on the couch. "Don't you guys want to watch something other than static?"

Kon frowned, not comfortable with the sudden intrusion in his space. He had been spending time alone, so what did Beetle mean with: 'You guys'? Was he talking to the voices in his head again and he just happened to be nearby?

"Superboy uses the sound to block his super-hearing and I don't mind, the white noise helps me concentrate," a soft, shy voice called in a sigh.

The clone blinked, eyes wide as he finally noticed that Robin was sitting in a plush chair to his right, his knees drawn to his chest, his eyes set on the holo-screen of his wrist computer as he read, fingers dancing over the keyboard expertly.

Impulse appeared, holding a bowl of popcorn bigger than his chest.

"You do?" he asked, prompting Superboy to stare at him.

"… I do," he admitted almost too silently.

"That's so crash!" the other teen beamed, dropping himself in the last available single chair in the room.

Blue Beetle scowled, his mouth pursing.

"How did you know?" he asked Robin, leaning closer to the other teen.

Robin flushed.

"I… I just…"

"He's Robin, Bro!" Impulse laughed, eyes wide. "He knows everything!"

Blue Beetle took the challenge immediately.

"Oh really?" he asked. "Then what's my name?"

"Psh! Blue!" Impulse chortled. "We all know your name!"

"Nah!" the other teen laughed, his smile daring. "The whole-"

"Jaime Francisco Reyes Aguilar," Robin whispered softly, his eyes set on the screen.

"…thing…" Jaime finished, shocked. "Holy shit, hermano! Did you just look that up!?"

"Ummm, no?" Robin replied. "I remember it from the time you showed us your driver's license."

"You are very observant," Kon said, feeling emboldened when Robin's attention turned to him.

"Thank you," he said awkwardly. "Though it's not a superpower either."

Kon smiled lightly.

"I'll get you yet," he replied, his lips twitching.

Robin nodded, his own small smile curling his lips.

And yeah, maybe he wasn't petted on the head like Impulse – and he had to admit it looked like something nice to feel, the way Robin's thin fingers carded through his hair – but he still had an ability no one else had.

And he treasured it.


	2. Birthday

**Part 2 – Birthday.**

Impulse – Bart, he wanted to be called Bart – had decided today was the perfect summer day for them to have their own, personal, secret field-trip, something only the new generation could do, keeping the rest of the team and their mentors ignorant and maybe using it as training for stealth and espionage.

Team-work exercises maybe?

Kon wasn't sure, the speedster talked far too much for his liking.

At first, the clone had not been really into the idea. He could still remember the last time someone had invited him to do team-building exercises and what had happened to that team in the end, and he had felt gratified that neither Blue Beetle – Jaime, hermano, come on! If you call him Bart call _me _Jaime – nor Arsenal had agreed to the improvised outing as well.

None of them were stealth agents in the team anyways.

That's what Robin was for and since that particular day the teen was absent from HQ, there was really no point in them training in an ability none were going to actually use.

Was there?

But then Bart had finally slumped in his seat, his pose defeated as he admitted he had wanted the four of them to sneak into Gotham in their civies – no powers, no weapons, just four teens undercover – and look for Robin in his house – and _of course _Bart knew where Robin's house was located, du'h, future knowledge? – because today it was Robin's birthday and he knew for a fact the teen would spend most of the day alone and it wasn't fair someone as nice as Robin had to spend the day on his own, was it?

The clone had immediately agreed to the excursion – internally arguing that he could act as their adult supervision, right? He was older? - and yeah, it had a lot to do with the fact that Arsenal had instantly jumped at the chance to catch 'Baby Bird' in his element.

He was not going to leave Robin on his birthday alone with Bart and Jaime, vulnerable to Roy's inappropriate teasing.

Because spending one's birthday alone was painful, he told himself as he put on the flannel shirt and glasses Impul… Bart insisted he used for the perfect disguise. He had spent his last birthday alone and it had hurt to notice his friends had picked sides after his and M'gann's break-up…

… and no one had picked his.

Yes, he repeated to himself as he checked himself in the mirror and scowled at how much he looked like Clark, he just wanted to spare Robin the hurt the way the other teen spared him the loneliness by sitting with him when he watched TV and how he paid attention to him in those little ways he usually did that made Kon feel special and unique.

It was the least he could do.

And so, there they were, all four of them trying not to fidget as they sat on a crowded bus, Arsenal eyeing the outside world through the window with disinterest while Kon did his best not to move and Jaime held Bart down so the other teen did not vibrate as he cheerfully spoke onto his phone.

"I know Bro, you are the crash-est!" he beamed, laughing almost maniacally. "And I know I double, no, I triple owe you! I'll keep a shrine to your memory! I swear! Forever!"

And while Jaime and Arsenal eyed the speedster in confusion, Kon could easily hear Wally's tired, hesitant voice on the other end of the line as he typed on his computer.

"Sure, sure, Bart," he said, his own smile clear in his voice. "Just remember I can distract Nightwing and Batgirl for about thirty minutes, tops. You have until then to reach destination before the Bats fall onto you."

"Will do! We are almost entering the city now! More than enough time to lose ourselves in the crowd!" the younger speedster said happily, almost unable to keep still on his seat. "Have I told you how awesome and handsome and crash you are?"

"Yeah, yeah," Wally said. "Thirty minutes, Bart, don't make me regret this."

"Roger!" the teen said, finally pocketing his phone and grinning a wide – and rather disturbing - smile at his friends. "As soon as the bus stops we are on the subway guys, we can't stop moving until we hit destination."

"Destination being…" Roy raised an eyebrow, slowly adjusting the blue baseball cap he wore over his eyes.

"Tim's house, obviously," the speedster replied, grabbing his bag.

The bus entered the city just as the four of them prepared to disembark and even before the first passenger was ready, they were out and entering the underbelly of Gotham, heads lowered, hands brushing against eachother, always one step behind the surveillance cameras.

They had twenty minutes.

The people in Gotham were different than the ones in Metropolis, Kon thought, and definitely different than the ones in Smallville.

There was a tense set on their shoulders, a mistrustful glint in their eyes and in the way they avoided any and every shadow if they could help it.

All citizens kept a hand on their pocket – and a quick surveillance with his x-ray vision showed Kon some were clutching their keys, some held spray cans of some sort, some were just tightening their hold of their phones – and the other free as they rode the train.

It was so strange to see these people ready for an attack and yet going through their daily lives normally.

No wonder Robin was always so tense.

Kon continued to stare at his surroundings, his hand held tightly in Bart's as the smaller teen steered him around.

"Fifteen minutes," Jaime whispered to them, eyes set on his plastic watch.

"Let's hurry," Bart said, nodding.

"Don't run," Roy hissed back, eyes narrowing. "You use your powers and Batman will be in our asses in seconds."

"Awww…" Bart replied, his lips pursing. "We won't make it in time if we don't hurry."

"Where exactly are we going?" Jaime asked, shaking his head.

"Gotham Heights," Bart laughed.

Kon watched as Bl-Jaime muttered something to himself, his eyes narrowing for a moment before something blue-yellow-green glittered in his eyes and then, finally, he nodded.

"Follow me," the teen said, smirk wide. "I think I know a shortcut if we cut behind Grant Park, but we'll need to run the human way. You can do that Imp?"

Bart nodded, his smile impossibly wide.

"Sups?" the speedster asked.

Kon nodded as well, not sure.

"Then we follow Beetle and run for our lives?" Roy asked, his own lips curling.

A shadow passed over them with a familiar black-grey cape.

All four teens started running then, not daring to turn around.

Fourteen minutes and thirty seconds later they were walking towards a bright red door surrounded with cheerful flowers and a golden doorbell.

It was definitely not the house he has expected Robin to live in. He had thought it would be a Spartan apartment with wide windows and grey walls, a place full of maps and dull colors where everything was functional.

... The Easter Island Statue in the middle of the hallway he could see through the sidewall of the house was definitely nothing functional.

... Or aesthetic.

Bart rang the doorbell, swinging back and forth in the balls of his feet.

Everyone held their breath.

The door opened.

And a rather sweet-looking, white haired old lady with a colorful apron and glasses slowly slipping down her nose stared at them.

"Yes?" she asked, tilting her head.

Bart smiled.

"Hi! We're looking for T…" the speedster stopped, shiftily looking at his friends. "Ummm we are here for…"

The woman blinked at them, and Kon could swear she was ready to call the police on them – if the way she eyed Arsenal's bulging jacket-sleeve was any indication – and the clone couldn't blame her, to be honest. But then her eyes were light and her hesitant smile gained force as she beamed.

"Oh! Just a second boys!" she said, instantly disappearing behind the door once more.

"Dude! What the hell!" Jaime complained, his hand about to slap Bart at the back of the head.

"I can't just say Rob's name!" the speedster argued. "Secret identities!"

"But you know it?" Roy asked, his interest peaked.

Kon had to admit it was a little unfair Bart knew Robin's name before he did. And, of course he understood the future knowledge and everything, it was normal for Bart to know things they didn't.

It still felt like a betrayal.

The door opened once more.

A slender teenager was standing there in an over-sized grey hoodie and jeans.

A phone to his ear.

"It's okay, dad, I understand you guys are busy," he was saying, his voice soft. "Yeah, I love you too. Tell mom as soon as you guys come home we'll go to the movies. Aha… Ahah? Yeah, me too."

Light blue eyes turned to them.

Then widened.

"I… I gotta go dad, tell mom I love her too, bye!" he hurried to say, his finger frantically pressing the off button. "What on Earth are you doing here!"

"Hey, buddy!" Bart beamed, fishing into his pant's pocket for a clumsily wrapped small package. "Happy Birthday!"

"You can't be here!" Robin argued once more, hands pulling his hoodie over his head to hide his features. "How are you here?!"

"Don't look at me, hermano," Jaime shrugged. "Bart decided it would be great stealth training."

"And we didn't want you to be alone on your birthday!" the speedster interrupted, jumping. "Aren't we such great friends?"

That gave Robin a pause.

"Really?" he asked, his voice gaining his usual nervous lilt. "You knew I was… what am I saying, you and your future knowledge and…"

He bit his bottom lip.

"I'll be out in a moment," he declared finally, entering the house once more.

Arsenal whistled.

"I knew he had a doll-face!" he laughed, crossing his arms over his chest. "He looks like a girl!"

"He does not!" Bart protested.

Kon kept silent as he watched them argue, his brow furrowed.

Robin had blue eyes.

Not blue like Clark's or his own, a darker blue, night-sky blue.

And his nose was a little crooked, maybe he broke it at some point and didn't set it right?

Robin's face was nothing how he had imagined it and yet perfect in its own way.

He smiled.

The door to the house opened one last time as Robin exited with a quick: "Thanks Mrs. Mac! I'll be back tonight!"

He was still wearing his washed-out jeans and thread-bare sneakers, but now his grey hoodie was replaced by a smaller red one and he was now sporting the customary sunglasses all members of the family sported.

Roy sneered.

"What's the point of wearing those anymore, Baby Bird?" he asked, wrapping his normal arm around Robin's shoulders. "We already know your pretty, pretty face."

Robin's lips pursed as he deepened his elbow onto Arsenal's stomach, easily side-stepping the other teen.

"I don't want to be caught in the surveillance cameras without them," he replied, shaking his head. "Batman is going to be pissed enough already."

"Aw, relax, Rob!" Bart laughed. "Wally's distracting him and Dick for a while! We have a head start!"

"And if anything goes wrong I'm here to fly us all out of the city before Batman can catch us?" Jaime added, his chest puffing with pride. "I'm sorry. _When_ everything goes wrong."

Robin's shoulders slumped.

"I'm sorry you were dragged into this, Kon-El," he said finally, turning to stare at the clone. "I hope they don't get you into too much trouble?"

Kon shook his head.

"I wanted to come on my own free will," he said bluntly. "Happy Birthday, Robin."

Robin's lips curled upwards.

"Thank you."

Kon smiled back.

"Ma' baked you a pie, but Impulse ate it on the way here," he said after a pause, his hands on his pockets. "I'll owe you a present for now."

"I was hungry!" Bart complained, his cheeks puffing like a chipmunk.

Robin laughed a breath, soft laugh that seemed to be born from the deepest recesses of his chest.

"It's okay," he said finally, his smile still present. "Now, before you four buffoons attract more attention, let's go to Big Belly's?"

Kon arched an eyebrow, not sure what Big Belly's was, but considering the loud cheers of victory Bart was spouting and the confident way Arsenal and Jaime agreed to the suggestion, it was a good place to go to.

"Rob! Rob! Open my present!" Bart said, wrapping his arms around Robin's back and depositing his misshapen package in the palm of his hand. "Jaime and I chose it! You like it don't you? Of course you do!"

"Let me open it first, Bart," Robin said, allowing the other teen to climb into his back and rest his chin on his bony shoulder. Jaime watched them with a grin and Arsenal tried to peek into the little package even before Robin was done opening.

Kon was already seeing the content with his X-ray vision, and yeah, he shouldn't have, but he had never claimed to be a patient person, and he was already famous for his curiosity – or at least he was in Smallville, where there had been a rather unfortunate incident with Pa's truck and a nest of baby chicks – so he didn't really bother to hide his scrutiny.

Also, he had to know what Robin would like, and prepare to give him a special present himself.

He wanted to make Robin smile always, after all.

"A keychain?" Arsenal asked, scowling.

Sure enough, dangling between Robin's thumb and index finger was a small keychain with a fat, round black and white bird with menacing blue eyes and a patch of red feathers on its face and chest.

Robin's eyes widened.

"We thought a red breasted Robin would be a little too on the nose," Jaime said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand.

"So we got you the Pokémon equivalent!" Bart beamed. "He even looks a little like you!"

"He does?" Robin asked, his smile to terribly bright Kon thought he wouldn't be able to breathe.

"Taillow is a badass!" the speedster assured.

"He does look like you," Kon interrupted, his face close to Robin's to examine his features.

The smaller teen's cheeks went immediately red.

Arsenal scowl's deepened.

"Let's go before Batman finds us guys," he said loudly, dragging Robin away from the others by the arm. "I want a Soder."

Bart yelped as he fell face-first onto the lawn, Jaime helping him up with a sigh.

Kon's face darkened.

Robin shook his head.

"Umm… Big Belly's serves Zesti, Roy," he said. "Not Soder."

"What?"

With that same warmth he had come to appreciate as his Robin-is-near warmth pooling in his stomach and the cold Arsenal-is-being-stupid in his veins, Kon started to follow the two as they descended into a snipping argument over the virtues of their drinks of choice with loud comments from Bart and exasperated inputs by Jaime.

All in all, Kon-El was glad to have come, if only to make sure he was part of this day in Robin's life.

And the fact he could now look at the dark skies in Kansas and know Robin's eyes were that same, indomitable color.


	3. Big Belly's

**Part 3 – Big Belly's.**

"You act different with people," Kon said as he took a sip of his second round of chocolate milkshake - that tasted like sugar, chemicals and all those things that Ma' complained about back in Kansas but tasted like something so good no wonder Clark kept a steady supply hidden in his fridge in Metropolis - and tried not to blink when Robin chocked on his Zesti.

"W-what?" the other teen asked, his cheeks flushing a bright red. "What do you mean?"

Kon shrugged his shoulders.

"When you are with Arsenal you act annoyed and don't hesitate to use violence against him," the clone explained.

Robin scowled.

"He calls me names..." he defended himself. "And he's not all that big himself."

"And when Bart rests in your lap, you pet his head," Kon continued, ignoring the soaring satisfaction bubbling inside of his chest at the thought that Robin seemed to so obviously dislike Arsenal. "Why?"

The other teen's body language turned shy.

"I'm usually not conscious about it," he admitted. "Mrs. Mac... Ah, the woman that opened the door to you all, she has a cat and the thing likes to curl in my lap when I'm reading."

Kon's scowl deepened.

"So when Bart does it..."

"I usually am so distracted I think it's Mrs. Mac's cat and I pet him," the teen finished, his shoulders slumped. "I guess I sound so lame now..."

The clone thought about it for a moment, eyes straying to where Bart, Jaime and Arsenal where engaged in a heated debate over an arcade machine with a colorful monkey with a red tie - he had refused to join them because he didn't like the look of the scowling monkey and the loud music, which was perfectly fine for someone with his powers – Kon couldn't help but notice how tactile Bart was around people, the way he clung to Jaime's back and played with his measly beard, his cheek tightly pressed against his own.

It was unsettling.

"He is rather… touchy," he said finally, his shoulders shrugging.

"I think it's because he's young…" Robin said, shaking his head.

"Young?" Kon asked, turning once more to look at the other teen, an eyebrow rising.

Robin nodded in mid sip of his drink.

"He's five."

Kon's eyes widened.

"Five?" he asked, leaning forward in his seat to try and look at the young speedster and find any indication as to such age.

There was none.

"He doesn't look five to me," Kon argued, his whole body a picture of disappointment.

Robin chuckled.

"And you don't look six," he argued back, his eyes set on his colorful cup.

Kon stared at Robin for a moment, his eyes searching for something he couldn't name on that shy smile of his and, once more, feeling a simmering of anger under his skin at the fact that he couldn't see the other teen's eyes, that Batman had forbidden him from ever sharing the sight with others.

Then again, maybe like Arsenal had said, Robin was far too pretty for his own good, and his boss – or his _father, _Kon still clung to that theory – was afraid of all the unwanted attention he would gather towards himself if people saw his naked, beautiful face up close.

It made sense to Kon, at the very least.

"No one has ever been younger than me," he said at last, his own cheeks coloring in shame at such admission.

"Now someone is?" Robin asked hesitantly, his lips pursing in thought. "Though, I don't think I should have told you that, it wasn't my secret to tell after all."

The clone blinked.

"It's a secret?" he asked, leaning closer to Robin to convey the secrecy the way Wally and Nightwing did sometimes during their youth.

Robin fidgeted.

"I don't know," he admitted. "Bart has never made an issue of it but… then again, he never makes an issue out of anything. Maybe this was different?"

"Maybe it wasn't," Kon tried at once, not liking the fact that Robin's smile had suddenly disappeared and unable to blame Bart for it. "Maybe we can get even?"

Robin stared at him, his tongue wetting his lower lip.

"Get even…" he repeated, his voice a whisper. "How?"

Kon nodded in his best impression of Clark's calm smile and hoping he didn't look half as deranged as Arsenal once said he did.

"You tell me a secret and I'll tell you one too," he said, finding no flaw in the logic of his plan. "We will all have a breach of our secrecy and should be even with Bart."

A dark eyebrow raised over robin's sunglasses in disbelief.

Kon maintained his awkward smile, his fingers tightening a little over the rim of the table he was holding onto.

Robin sighed.

"My parents don't know about me… about this, I mean," he said finally, gesturing with his Zetsi at the group. "They have to travel a lot because of work and I took advantage of that to join Batman."

The clone listened intently, his fingers relaxing against the wood of the table when the other boy's lips curled downwards.

"Sometimes I wish I could tell them and have their blessing but…" he shook his head. "I know they would make me stop and I am so ashamed to admit if I was to choose between the mission and my parent's approval… I…"

"You wouldn't choose them?" the clone finished for him, his eyes wide.

Robin nodded.

"Don't get me wrong. I love my parents! I would give my life for them without a second thought," he added. "But, the good I can do as Robin… I don't think I'd be able to give this up if my parents ordered it."

Kon, slowly, carefully, wrapped his hand around the other teen's, marveling at how impossibly _small_ that hand looked against his own and wondering whether Clark thought the same whenever he and Batman held hands.

… but then he imagined Clark and Batman holding hands and realized how impossible that would be.

As he allowed his thumb to caress the back of Robin's hand, he thought about all he had heard and the weight it must mean on his friend's shoulders to hold such secret.

He didn't have any parents of his own – unless he counted Clark who would freak out on him and well, Luthor who… Kon didn't think it would be a good idea – but he had seen how important their parents were to the people like Nightwing and Kaldur, who had lost them, and how sometimes Wonder Girl would whisper soft_: 'I know, I love you too, Mom,'_ into her phone the same way Robin had done earlier that day.

Parents were important then.

Therefore, Robin's secret was important. Something really deep and personal and only a secret of the same caliber would only suffice in their exchange.

He _did _have a secret that in his mind weighted him down as much as Robin's seemed to. But he had told himself he shouldn't involve others in things that were just his own or…

He looked at Robin's torn face.

He took a deep breath.

"M'gann and I broke things up because… because she tried to enter my mind without my permission and… change something," he admitted, forcing the words to form in his lips, his lungs to give them sound and his hand from stop from clenching. "I felt betrayed and angry, like I wanted to hurt her, make her feel the same fain I felt, so before I could hurt her for real I…"

"You left for Kansas…" Robin whispered, his eyes so impossible wide the tips of his black eyelashes peeked over the rim of his glasses. "Kon, that's… you should have told someone! I mean!"

"I didn't want anyone to know," he interrupted, his eyes lowering to their still entwined hands. "I wasn't really hurt, not physically and…"

"She violated you!" Robin said ardently, his fingers now tightening against Kon's. "For all intents and purposes she r-… she took advantage of you!"

"You need to keep this a secret!" Kon urged, noticing how Robin's cheeks were a deep red and his heart was beating so fast, then how come his hands were shaking too?

Robin was, somehow, angry.

"But she could have hurt you!" he argued. "Did you tell anyone? Does Superman know? Martian Manhunter?"

"Clark knows… he was the one to take me to Kansas after all," the clone soothed. "And M'gann told her uncle after she had that accident with Kaldur… she's training to control the impulses now."

Robin nodded, his cheeks losing some redness.

"What about your mind?" he asked, leaning forward so he could peer into Kon's eyes, most likely. "Did you have a check up with another Mind Adept afterwards? Search for some left-over damage?"

Kon's scowl deepened more than usual.

"I don't like to have my mind prodded," he said. "Makes me feel dirty."

"But you could have been hurt!" Robin insisted. "I can't believe this… Batman will…"

"Batman can't know!" Kon interrupted again. "You promised, remember? This has to stay a secret between you and me."

"But…"

"Please!"

Robin's teeth sank on his bottom lip, the struggle between his friendship and the loyalty he had to Batman clear on his expressive – if ever hidden – face.

"I feel your secret is far more important than mine, " he said at last.

Kon felt himself sag in relief, and he wondered how many emotions he was going to experience today and whether he could be able to prevent himself from lashing out should he have to.

"Your secret is really big too…" he tried to sooth again, his voice soft.

Robin smiled weakly, fishing in the pocket of his hoodie for a pen as his other hand released Kon's and reached for one of the restaurant's thin paper napkins.

Kon instantly missed the feeling of warmth of Robin's skin on his own but remained silent as he watched the other teen hesitate, then slowly scribble a single, precise line on his napkin and carefully fold it into a tiny square before laying it on the center of his outstretched palm.

"What's this?" Kon asked, eyeing the piece of paper in his hand.

"Open it when you are alone," Robin whispered, his cheeks once more red. "Batman is gonna kill me for this…"

"Kill is not the word I would use," a voice called from behind them at the same time as each felt a powerful hand land on their shoulder and a shocked yelp – Bart's – echoed around the suddenly too silent restaurant.

Kon could hear how Robin's hear faltered for a millisecond as they turned around, only to find that the owner of such powerful hand was none other than Clark himself, dressed in full Superman regalia with a frown on his face – that he had obviously, to Kon at least, learned from Pa' – showing the full extent of his disappointment while The Flash was dragging Bart away by the ear, Green Arrow was holding a struggling Arsenal and Black Canary was glaring at an apologetic Jaime, her arms crossed over her chest.

And, of course, behind the whole mayhem that had descended over them, was Batman.

No wonder the civilians had gone so quiet.

"We wanted to celebrate Robin's birthday! We are the good guys!" Bart cried as his future grandfather apologized over and over to Batman.

The hold on Kon's shoulder relaxed minutely, only enough for him to notice.

"Is that true, Kon-El?" Clark asked, his disappointed frown melting into a hopeful mix of awe, trepidation and pride.

Kon nodded.

"You know the rules, Robin," Batman growled, making the boy flinch and then lower his head in shame.

"I know," the boy replied. "I'm sorry."

Kon felt something inside of him tighten at the tone of Robin's voice, the defeat of his posture.

But it was Arsenal who, while still struggling with his former mentor, managed to turn the full center of his angry glaring at Batman himself.

"We heard Robin has shitty parents who wouldn't be home on their own son's birthday, and we came over to make sure he didn't have to spend the day alone!" he spat visciously, loudly. "He had nothing to do with this!"

"But I didn't kick you out of the city when I should have, Roy!" Robin protested, struggling against Clark's massive hand. "I'm at fault too!"

All adults looked at eachother.

"Let's go to HQ Robin," Batman said with a sigh. "Nightwing has been looking for you all afternoon."

Robin nodded, his face betraying his confusion as he was finally released.

"Nightwing?" he asked, tilting his head in that was that was so endearing it made Kon's mouth twitch.

Batman nodded, his scowl awkward.

"Him and A have been preparing something for you all week."

"A?" Robin blinked. "Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't know!"

Batman nodded and placed a hesitant hand – Kon never understood why Batman had no issue touching Nightwing when he was a kid but held himself back with his third Robin, it was something Clark never wanted to talk about – on his shoulder to guide him out.

Before they reached the door, though, Robin stopped himself, turned around and gave his friends a small, hesitant smile.

"Thank you so much, guys," he said, fingering his keychain. "It was the best birthday I've ever had."

Bart stopped his whining and straightened, saluting Robin with a big grin.

Jaime smiled as well, a little more apprehensive.

Arsenal sighed.

"Whenever you want, gorgeous!" he catcalled, prompting his former mentor to whack him in the back of the head as Batman growled and Robin squeaked in shock.

Kon growled as well, his mood souring.

Robin locked their gazes last.

"Thanks for everything, Kon," he said softly.

He nodded.

"Thanks to you, Robin," he said, his fingers still holding his secret piece of paper between them.

Robin nodded and Kon was sure he had something else to say, but Batman was pulling him away, his scowl set on Arsenal's still leering face.

"Well, I'm taking Jaime home," Canary said, shaking her head. "Care for a ride, Olie?"

Green Arrow nodded.

"Sure thing," he said cheerfully, adjusting his grip so he was now wrapping a companionable arm around Arsenal's shoulders. "And along the way you two can tell us how you managed to sneak into Gotham undetected."

Flash shook his head.

"Let's go too, Bart," he said, waving goodbye to his companions as he sped away.

Only Clark and Kon remained then.

Silent.

"Did you really…" Clark started, clearing his throat. "Are Robin's parents really… bad?"

Kon nodded.

"Robin says they are never around," he said, shaking his head. "But he loves them a lot."

"I bet," Clark sighed, shaking his head. "I'll take you back to Smallville now, you'll spend some time without privileges, I'm afraid."

"Okay…" Kon agreed, he didn't really mind spending a few days in Kansas and he was sure Ma' and Pa' would understand his plight and let him leave without Clark really knowing – or minding, if the smile Clark was fighting was any indication.

The clone felt Superman's arms around his own as the two of them rose in the air and yeah, he wasn't alone as he would have wanted, but his curiosity was far too powerful – more than he would have liked to admit – and Clark's attention was on the sky anyways.

He unfolded his little paper square.

… and promptly felt his world lose focus for a moment.

… because there, in Robin's precise, neat handwriting was a single line of text, a single declaration that made everything inside of Kon drop and rise and burst in molten heat and colorful, manic energy.

He heard Clark curse – something he seldom did – as he released a bight beam of heat from his eyes and his hands tightened against his chest.

He didn't care.

Robin's message was still ringing in his head.

**'MY NAME IS TIMOTHY DRAKE. PLEASE CALL ME TIM.'**

Kon felt his heart soar.


	4. Interlude: Advice

Kon spent the first week of his punishment in a daze that seemed to keep his usually sullen disposition far more silent and a small smile curling his lips sporadically only to the utter shock of Ma' and Pa'.

Clark had grumbled a little as he left him there, explaining the situation quickly and promising to return as soon as he managed to come up with an explanation and a few days of vacation back in Metropolis.

Kon had barely noticed.

"Are you alright, Kon dear?" Ma' asked whenever she caught him over-feeding the chicken or simply plowing the fields with his bare hands in zigzagging, irregular patterns that he would need to redo if the Kent's ever planned on harvesting that season.

Kon had only nodded at her, unable to form a coherent response when there was only one word echoing in his head.

Tim, Tim, Tim, Timtimtimtimtimtim…

And the clone wasn't as stupid as his team-mates were to believe, he could tell something was definitely different with the way Tim seemed to consume his every thought, the way he felt he could burst from the inside out whenever the other teen smiled at him.

It was, in a way, how he had once felt for M'gann, but also only comparable the way a broken piece of colored glass could resemble a carefully cut jewel. He could understand the similarities in the most basic, shallow way, but all comparisons died inside of him with a single utterance of Robin's name.

Tim…

He smiled foolishly to himself as he allowed his body to land on the grass, his eyes set on the quickly darkening sky.

Tim's eyes were that color.

Yet, somehow, the sky itself palled in comparison.

He felt his skin warm up, especially as the scent of burning tobacco reached his nose and the sound of heavy footsteps on gravel finally became clear to his ears.

He sat up just as Pa' let himself fall onto the grass by his side, his pipe in his hand and a fond smile on his aging face.

"You know," he said as he took a drag. "Clark used to have that same dopey smile when he was around your age. Drove Martha up the walls he did."

Kon blinked, trying to imagine Clark's dopey smile reflected on his own face.

"Why was he… smiling?" he asked, feeling dread pooling in the pit of his stomach.

Was there something wrong with him?

Was he sick?

Pa' chuckled.

"Her name was Lana," he said with a shrug. "They were the best of friends when they were kids, Clark and her."

Kon instantly perked up.

"Tim is my friend," he said, leaning forwards. "He is my best friend."

Pa' laughed out loud this time, his eyes wrinkling with mirth.

"That Tim of yours is the boy you got in trouble for in Gotham?" he asked, one of his rough hands coming to rest on Kon's shoulder gently. "He must be something else."

Kon felt his skin burning.

"He is," he said, resolute. "I like it when he smiles."

"I bet you do, son," the old man said, his voice wistful. "And I'm sure he smiles a lot when you are around?"

Kon nodded eagerly, his lips twitching upwards.

"He does and it makes me feel like I can fly just like Clark," he paused. "But then Arsenal will show up and he will say something dirty and Tim will stop smiling and go fight with him. I hate him."

Pa' raised an eyebrow.

"Is Arsenal another one of your friends?" he asked.

Kon shook his head, his mood souring.

"No, not mine," he replied, feeling how his shoulders slumped. "But he is Tim's friend."

"Ah," Pa' said, nodding. "Tim has more friends, then…"

"He does," Kon assured. "I can't blame them, he is the best friend ever, so it's natural he is other people's best friend too."

"And you want to be Tim's best friend then, just like he is yours."

The teen nodded, his eyes wide. No wonder Clark decided this was a good place for him. Pa' must have some mental powers of his own, if he could be so accurate.

He knew exactly how to put into words the main core of Kon's conflicts.

"How… How do I become Tim's best friend?" he asked, feeling his throat clench around the words. "He is… nice. And sweet. He strokes Bart's hair whenever he wants to cuddle and he speaks in other languages with Jaime when he is stressed. He even helped Wonder Girl with her homework once."

Pa' took another drag from his pipe, silent.

"It sounds like your friend has a lot of love to give," he surmised with a smile. "And you want to monopolize his attention."

Kon's eyes widened.

"I don't mean to…"

"Son," Pa' interrupted with a soft pat on his shoulder. "It's not a bad thing to want to be special in someone's eyes. It's part of being human."

The clone pouted.

Pa's smile widened.

"I remember I was like that when I was young, myself," he said. "I wanted to be Martha's one and only."

Kon swallowed loudly.

"How did you do it?" he asked, his hands clenching and unclenching in the grass so hard he thought he was about to part the earth beneath him in two. "How did you become Ma's one and only?"

Pa' laughed, shaking his head as if the memory itself was embarrassing and yet precious.

"I did many things, really, embarrassing things, stupid things, crazy things," he began. "I made a fool of myself and then some, if only to probe to her I was serious about her."

Kon closed his eyes then, allowing Pa's comforting words to surround him, to drown him, to penetrate every single pore of his conscience as he absorbed the stories and learned from Pa's advice.

Pa' and Ma' had sworn to be together until death did them apart and then maybe beyond that.

And that was exactly what he wanted for Tim and himself.


End file.
